


Redundant Reciprocation

by Lynn_Nexus



Category: Megamind (2010)
Genre: Captured, Escape, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 14:04:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13660527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynn_Nexus/pseuds/Lynn_Nexus
Summary: Sometimes, the answer to "Who is protecting who" is "yes".Roxanne finds herself in a particularly nasty situation,





	Redundant Reciprocation

**Author's Note:**

> So here I go again. Saw a the prompt "protect" on someone's post and wouldn't you friggin know it? Out pops -this-... I have a whole pile of other things I was trying to finish... but look... here's another Megamind thing. Why are they so much easier for me to write than literally anything else I try?
> 
> I feel like I apologize for everything I write but It always seems like it's something where I'm just going "Here... Please enjoy my word vomit... I put a bow on it and everything" So if you like it... lemme know... if you don't... Well I guess you could tell me that too XD 
> 
> Also, I find my stuff is getting more and more heavily influenced by Set's cannon/world building So you might catch some less than subtle hints that I've been reading their stuff...

Lips pulled back off of teeth. A growl echoed around and eyes dashed across the dim surroundings. You'd think you were observing a wild animal, a wolf or a large cat at the noises that were coming out of her. She felt wild... And trapped. Like a bear who's cub was being attacked she was going out of her mind. You'd think that maybe, after years of waking up tied up, caged in, and otherwise captured she'd have seen it all. After years being, kidnapped and waking up in a strange place was routine. She had been nothing if not calm when she first woke. Nothing out of the ordinary to wake up in a cage. Though Roxanne couldn't remember the last time she'd been put in a cage, rope was much more common. Megamind seemed to like to be able to get close to her. 

But he was close this time, even with the cage. Too close. Lying on his side, curled into a ball with his back to her. He looked... He looked _small_... Small and hurt, he looked like he was sleeping off a hell of a beating. Her heart lurched in her chest, she could be smug in the face of danger with Megamind pulling the strings. That was as easy as breathing, he put more work into safety features than he did into the death traps themselves. Sinister as he could be, which, honestly some days wasn't particularly sinister, she rarely worried for herself. Once he'd let slip that she was his insurance policy. She'd been offended at the time but soon saw what he meant. So many things were different when she was taken hostage. They were different in tiny ways but important ones. 

If she was there, her station got preferential rights to interviews, which meant Channel 4 _didn't_ get first crack at anything. Sure Megamind terrorized the city but the conspiracy nuts over at Channel 4 never let the truth get in the way of a good story. If they got first crack at a story, Megamind was guilty of everything from what he did do to making a little old lady crap her pants half way across the city along with chemtrails and homosexuality. If there was one thing that she'd learned, Megamind hated getting blamed for things that weren't his fault. Not to mention she knew he'd been beaten by police a few times and that never happened when she was around. But all of that paled in comparison to how he'd said it, with _warmth_. Yea her presence aided him but when she wasn't being cranky and argumentative, he seemed to light up when that bag came off her head. They'd banter and even flirt, which never stopped shocking her that he would flirt with her. Minion had quietly tried to ease her irritation and told her she kept him grounded, didn't let his head get too big... That had earned a chortle out of her in that particular moment.

Now he was on the cold floor, cement hard under his bruised blue skin, and _their_ captor stood outside the cage, laughing at them. Well... Lady Doppler was _sneering_ , not so much laughing. She looked damningly smug over there. “Well I can't say I intended on having _you_ over to my little party... but you'll do.” The woman had said with a flip of her hand and the cold nearly stole Roxanne's breath out of her. “He does favor you so. It is... rather fitting don't you think? It will be a glorious end, not that he deserves it.” The cold look on the woman's face promised pain and suffering. “Though I expected you to be a better conversationalist.” Roxanne had to swallow her growl, though she didn't stand from her stance, arms wide as she interposed herself between the woman and the prone form behind her. “You'll have to forgive me.” There was no plea in Roxanne's voice or stance, just insult and rage. “This is a bit off script for me. Not used to _cut rate_ villains...” The frigid woman raised a single, insulted eyebrow at her. Fine, sharp features twisted slightly in rage. “Oh ho! So you do have some bite. Enjoy the hospitality _dear_.” That last word is spat with enough venom to kill an elephant as Doppler turned with a snap and floated over the tiles out of the dim room.

The immediate threat has been removed from sight and the mamma bear in her calmed some. Roxanne had never dealt with the Doom Syndicate, never had to. Only room at the top for one, and Megamind had resoundingly taken the top. There were a few times, just a few that she could remember where he and the other villains had fought, but she was never included in those plots. Roxanne sagged some, keeping her eye on the door as she shifted closer to the alien. “Megamind?” She questioned but he didn't stir. Oh god, how hurt was he? Panic rolled up her spine and she finally broke her eyes away from the door to look down at him. He was pallid, pale save the bruises blooming across his skin. Shit, he took a while to bruise, and someone had to put real force into the beating to discolor his skin. Metro Man would sometimes leave bruises but they usually took a day to appear. How long was she out? How long had he been here?! He was still, very much too still and when she touched his skin delicately, he was cold to the touch. Her hands shook as she moved him gently onto his back. He was limp and she had to grip his arm so it wouldn't flop onto the ground. 

She leaned over him and listened to his chest, the faint but there “thum...pah thum... pah” seemed slow, far too slow. Roxanne had to bite her tongue to keep from sobbing. Hurt but alive. Some part of her mind questioned why she was so fucking happy he was alive but another, practical part of her scolded it with the adage “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”, totally ignoring the childish insinuations of the first part of her mind. He just needed to be ok enough to help save them. Right. Her hands had been resting on his chest and it had neither risen nor fallen in her long moment of fighting back tears. Trembling jaw clenched and she reached timid fingers to his face, tenting them over his nose and mouth to reassure herself that he was breathing.

He was _not_.

She clenched her hand in a fist above his face. He wasn't breathing. Oh shit he wasn't breathing. The sob escaped this time. She had to swallow down the terror that rose in her and she looked around quickly. No Roxie there was no one else to help you. No one else to help him. What where you expecting? She shuffled along his body on her knees and suddenly deft hands maneuvered him. She just hoped that his kind, his alien people, were able to get benefit from CPR because she was about to administer it. She tilted his head back some and pried open his mouth to look and be sure his tongue wasn't in the way. There was blood in his mouth. Clear obstruction! Two fingers dipped into his mouth as she tilted his head to the side and pressed his tongue away so she could messily scooped the blood out of his mouth. Maybe it wasn't necessary, she hadn't taken any refresher courses on CPR in ages, but she wasn't going to breath blood into his lungs if she didn't have to. As she held his jaw open she could see the source of the blood was his tongue, it bled lazily into his mouth and she shivered before pinching his nose closed and exhaling into his mouth. It wasn't like with the dummys... his head was larger and she realized after the first breath in that his chin was rocking down, constricting his airways. The next breath she dug her hand under his neck and lifted, his skin cool against her clammy palm. Her panic had her wrapping around him as she scooped him slightly up. His neck was so slim! Even her small hand spanned the back of his neck and it made him feel all the more frail.

Suddenly, while her lips were still pressed to his there was movement. His back arched off the floor and his slender arms raised, long fingers curling into claws and the air she'd put in him was forced back towards her, making her jolt back to look into wild, shocked, green eyes. Relief was so overwhelming she pulled him up to her chest, hand still clutched at the base of his skull, ignoring the spikes that were digging into her flesh. A strangled, almost scream escaped him and shaking hands laid on her shoulders. “Unhand me!” She jolted back at the sudden, sharp, shocked words. She tried to comfort him immediately, he must think she's trying to hurt him, he's confused. “Shhh! Megamind it's me... It's Roxanne... Miss Ritchi...” He's writhing in her hands and his eyes are winced closed. “Con... Conflicting input!” He hisses out sharply, eyes opening and pleading with her to understand. Her face twists with worry and her thumb rubs along the back of his neck and the underside of his skull trying to comfort him some. She starts to tell him she doesn't understand as her thumb smooths along his skin but he takes a sharp, chattering breath, making a noise in the back of his throat that is a mix of a bird's song, a moan and pure unadulterated scandal. The noise is echoed in his body, he _writhes_ under her knelt frame. Legs kick, his back curls up again and while one hand fists in her shirt to pull her closer the other shoves at her. It startles her enough that she pulls back and with the added room he scrambles out of her hands, all the way over to the wall of bars caging them in. His hands come up to cover the back of his neck and his knees cover his torso as he... As he has a panic attack!

It's a text book reaction to panic or threat. He's hyperventilating, his eyes are wide, he's protecting himself, making himself as small as possible. Not just a reaction to panic but a reaction to abuse. You can't be a good reporter if you aren't good at spotting signs, at being observant and this is like a neon sign flashing in her face. She keeps her voice low, keeps herself small, stays put and only moves slowly so as to not startle him. “Megamind? Can you hear me?” He pinches his eyes closed and his breathing shudders but he nods his head furiously. “Did I hurt you?” She asks slowly, creeping forward minutely by leaning onto her hand so she can see his face more clearly. There is a sharp, decisive snap of his head indicating that no, she didn't hurt him. Oh thank god. “Can I come closer?” The shivering shake of his head to the negative breaks her heart. “Do you want me to move away?” His eyes fly wide with panic and he stills, his eyes screaming no but no other motion happens, no other sound. “It's ok... I can stay right here.” His eyes flicker over her and he takes another shuddering breath, in through his mouth like he's gulping and out through his nose. “That's good...” She coaches, her eyes on him, watching for any change in him. “But can you breath in through your nose and out through your mouth?” She questioned gently and tries to make all of her as gentle as she can, her eyes, her mouth, her hands. His breathing will be more stable, his lungs will have more time if he can breath in slowly rather than out slowly. He closes his eyes and does as instructed. 

He looks better almost immediately, after three long breaths he lets his hands sag and after five he looks like he might be able to speak again. “Miss... Miss Ritchi...” She smiles warmly at him, this whole thing has taken only a few minutes but it feels like an hour and she couldn't begin to describe how fantastic it is to hear him speak her name in something resembling his usual voice. “I'm sorry if I scared you... Was it something I did?” She asks, tilting her head and she can see his throat work as his eyes widen again. “Not... Not entirely.” He hedges, but his hand clamps back over the back of his neck right where she'd put her hand and she blinks at the action. “Was... Was it the hug?” She asks but she knows, somewhere in her mind that it _wasn't_ the hug. “This isn't really the time or the place to...” She cuts back before he can even finish that sentence. “This isn't the time or the place for me to send you into another _panic attack_ Megamind! What did I do?” He growls to himself, still gripping that hand to himself, knees pressed firmly together even though she can see blood on one of them. She asks differently. “You said “conflicting input” What did you mean?” When his eyes snap back over to her, his gaze burns. His eyes are fire and they scorch, blazing with a whirlwind of emotions, too many to put a single name to.

He gauges her for a long moment and then huffs angrily, eyes snapping away pointedly. “We both know you don't _need_ to ask.” And that's all the confirmation she needs. He's hurt and her “input” had been conflicting. He injured and she'd done something that felt _too_ good. “My... attack has passed Miss Ritchi. Has Lady Doppler shown herself recently?” He was in full villain mode wasn't he? She could see how his shoulders rolled back, even without his cape and mantle. He stood as tall as he could even with the bruises on him but he clutched one hand to his ribs. “A few minutes ago... mostly to gloat over having caught me.” Roxanne scoffed at herself. “Not that it's much of a shock that someone kidnapped me.” He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow at her critically. “ _Someone_. Doppler should know better than to kidnap _you_.” The seething way he said “someone” struck her and she stood while he turned his attention to their situation, checking each bar systematically in the cage. She rolled her tongue between her teeth as she mulled his words over. Soft but seething she commented back at him. “She kidnapped me because of _you_.” He pretended not to hear her or maybe to not be bothered by her words but she'd seen the minute flinch.

“Do you have anything on you? Nail file? High explosives? Lipstick?” She blinked at his sudden request and he took her silence as to mean he needed to explain himself. “They took my cloak, my spare tools and the De-gun. I'm in luck that they didn't take my gloves or boots... but... Anything you've got might be worthwhile...” She shook her head and frowned at him. “What were the odds on me having high explosive?” There was a moment where she saw a smile curl his lips and he stilled in his search. “That depends entirely on if they frisked you. I remember those _shoes_ you commissioned Miss Ritchi.” She couldn't help but bark at the mention of her infamous shoes. Steel toed pumps with a reinforced heel. She'd punched a hole in his boot stomping on his foot. That led to a bit of a foot wear cold war for probably six months a few years back. “Assume I've been frisked.” She replied in her usual, unamused, are-you-really-doing-this voice. “Then about five percent chance... unless you'd like more decimal places...” She couldn't help the little laugh that bubbled out of her. God, he's ok.

She ran her hands over herself, checking her pockets, bless a dress with pockets. She pulled out a few coins, a stray paperclip, a broken piece of lead off an unknown pencil, and a copious lump of pocket lint. She moved to remove the lint and lead but there was a blue hand on her's stopping her. “Graphite! Fantastic! Number two or am I so lucky that this is a hb?” He _really_ was in full super villain mode. He gasped in glee as he ran a finger nail over the bit of lead. “B2?! How fortunate!” She cocked her head at him, question already on her lips. She was pretty sure she knew which pencil might have shed lead in her pocket, she had one pencil she didn't know where it came from but it wrote dark and busted easily. “B2? What... Oh that's why that pencil breaks all the time isn't it?! It's got soft lead.” He clutched the pencil tip to his chest and frowned at her, raising a dramatic finger in the air. “ _Graphite_ Miss Ritchi, you did not have _lead_ in your pocket, you'd have been poisoned by now most likely.” He reached over and plucked the paper clip out of her hand. She rolled her eyes at him and then sighed, putting the rest back in her pocket. “Ok, so what is it that got you so excited about a tiny bit of _graphite_?”

He launched into a tirade about graphite and how it was a particularly good dry mechanical lubricant. He extolled it's virtues, explained the difference between it and silicone, all while he moved around the cage then back to a pair of bars as his rant shifted from lubricants to people misusing WD40. There were little spikes on his gloves and he unscrewed one while he spoke which shocked Roxanne a bit. He rubbed the little tiny piece of pencil over the spike, blackening it a bit, then pushed the little bitty spike against the base of the bar where the weld looked a bit... well a bit iffy. There was a tiny little hollow, not even large enough for the spike to fit all the way in but it was about half in. He unbent the paperclip and poked into the hole in the back of the spike, then took the back of the spike out of his glove and twisted it back into the spike where it sat. There was a tiny, quiet “pop” noise, like a tiny bulb breaking and then he sat back, seemingly satisfied and not bothered by her proximity, which was near now.

“So what was that?” He launched into his explanation with gusto even if his eyes shifted a bit too fast in his skull. “Oh! I have several different kinds of spikes on my costume, most of them are for deflecting projectiles but I have a few distress beacon spikes. A cage like this, while it could act as a Faraday cage using my normal distress beacon, if I can hook the beacon to a large metalic object... then I can amplify the signal. Only connectivity is an issue, so the graphite from that bit of pencil helped to not only lubricate the spike so that as much of it touched as possible but it's conductive so the small jolt is more likely to properly pulse through the whole cage.” He gestured around them and she couldn't help but look to his knee, fresh liquid leaked down his leg and she hissed softly at the sight. “The brainbots are trained to pick up and home in on the particular electrical pulse goes off...” She plucked at his suit, finding a grungy, swollen wound on his upper calf while he finished his explanation. “How long have you been here?” She asked and he shrugged, seemingly not bothered, even as he winced. 

“Inconsequential. Do you know anything about Doppler's plan?” He brushed her hands away from his leg but she glared back at him. “Yea. I do. And you're going to sit down and let me try to clean that wound out before I'm going to tell you.” That seemed to stun him slightly, he frowned and cocked his head at her. “Wou... The wound on my leg? It's fine. Not bleeding at all anymore... Now really Miss...” She gripped his leg, just below the wound and put gentle pressure on it, making him startle and hiss, hands wrapping around the bars behind him. “Ow.” He exhaled the word as she pulled the leg across her lap to look at it. “How does your body deal with infections? This looks angry.” Gentle fingers slipped over the wound but it was warmer than the surrounding skin. “Similar to a human. Different cell structure and a more efficient natural cleaning of the wound tract but... My immune responses are similar.” She growled at the wound, it shifted slightly when she touched it, it was definitely infected if he was relatively similar to a human. Infected, how long did it take for him to puff up with infections? “Are you wounded anywhere else?” She questioned gently as she looked to see if the sick seal on the infected flesh would pry easily apart or if she should just leave it and work on getting them out.

His words were stifled and halting as he responded to her, clearly not enjoying her hand on his leg. “That... Is the... only broken... skin.” She sighed, her shoulders sagging as she looked around. No water to wash the dirt and grime out of the wound or to soften the skin and scab that had sealed the mess inside. A long, leather covered hand gripped her wrist gently and she looked up at his face. “I'll be fine.” The moment was long and uncharacteristic of the super villain, the pressure of his fingers around her wrist were gentle but insistent. “It's infected... You act like you've got something wrong with your ribs... and I'm... Lady Doppler is planning on killing you. I have no idea what she's planning on doing with me but I doubt it will be particularly pleasant. I... I know where we are... kinda.” His eyes widened as she let that little tidbit slip. “I was following a lead, I'd walked about... Oh... three blocks north of 23rd. Between 5th ave and 7th ave, they grabbed me and drove south from there... Bout eight blocks...” Roxanne knew, while she wasn't able to figure out exactly where they were, Megamind already knew from her description where abouts they were. He growled to himself then muttered about the lack of his watch.

She let him pull his leg off her lap to stand and pace while she sat and watched him. There was a strange scraping noise from outside the cage and some raised voices upstairs. “Ah. Perfect.” He said to himself and reached an arm out for her to help her up. She didn't use him except to steady herself as she stood, not wanting to put extra weight or strain on him. He glanced towards the stairs then back at her. “R... Roxanne. Thank you.” With that he let go of her and walked over to the bars. He pressed his shoulder against one and bracing his weight as he swung his good leg back. He kicked the bar right at where he'd wedged that little tiny spike in. On the second kick the bar dislodged and he motioned to the slightly larger space he'd made. “Miss Ritchi... If you would please make a rather hasty exit. There should be brain bots upstairs... they're programed to abscond with you if you're found near hostile criminal elements... So as soon as they see you, don't be shocked if they swarm you or try to pick you up.” She followed his instructions as the noise upstairs reached an impressive volume.

She waved at him as she stood up outside the cage. “K'mon...” There was a tight little snap of his head. “I wasn't able to shift the bars enough for my cranium. Go.” She was going to argue with him but she didn't have the chance. The door at the top of the stairs broke inward and Doppler came down the stairs in a furious huff, a henchman falling down behind her. Her eyes met the scene before her and her already gray eyes whited out further. “ _ **You**!_ ” She hissed like steam and launched herself at Roxanne who had reflexively inserted herself between the attacker and Megamind again. There was a shrill piercing whistle behind Roxanne and she startled, turning just in time to miss a blast of frigid air that looked like it had crystals of ice in it. Megamind fluidly shouldered into the bar he'd already displaced and with a shrieking groan the metal gave way. Adrenaline dilated time for Roxanne, giving her that moment to be impressed by his strength. Really, the twist of rage and pain on his face should have worried her but as he ducked his head between the bars hands fell on her and it was like someone hit the fast forward button. Her own hands came up towards the invading force, the palm of her hand swinging up and slapping into what she guessed was a chin before she even could turn to face the person. White hair flew back away from her but a knee came up into her ribs at the same moment forcing all the air out of her lungs in a violent wheeze.

Noise. So much damn noise, Bawg and Baow and chattering metal and the crack of electricity. There was a ripping sensation as fingers clawed at her and metal clamped around her, her own noise of pained indignation rattled through the air to join the cacophony. Suddenly there was only panting and a faint buzz around her, everything stood still but not in that I-am-hopped-up-on-adrenaline sort of way. Actually still, tilted slightly to the left as she finally let her eyes focus. Lady Doppler was on her knees, blood on her pale face, probably from the palm she got to the face, her eyes glaring sharply up at the dominant figure. Spine straight, circled by the brain bots that weren't currently restraining Roxanne, stood Megamind, looking down at Doppler, and from what she could see of his face, he was angry.

“Get her out of here.” There was a moment of shuffling while the bots all tried to get both “her”s out of there before he gritted out a revision. “Get _Miss Ritchi_ out of here.” There was a familiar voice at the top of the stairs. “Sir? SIR!” Megamind ignored Minion to address the bleeding woman on the floor. “Really Doppler? You thought a _cage_ was going to save you? From _me_?” He took a menacing step forward as the bots slowly floated Roxanne towards the door at the top of the stairs. Suddenly she realized she was being carried off and started to struggle but Minion was right there, big, wide eyes looking her over then he spoke softly to her. “Miss Ritchi... If you'd please just let us...” He offered and something about his tone made her still. “Minion... Minion he's hurt... Please... Get him out of here...” She gripped his shoulder, her hands shaking and he gave a little smiling nod before she let go and relaxed into the bot's grip. Once out of the building they sped her up and away. They seemed to have a short “discussion”, bawging and baowing at each other for a moment then they flew her away from the scene at break neck speeds.

She swore she'd only blinked as they cruised towards the shoreline where there were several old warehouses and factories, then she was inside a building, being set gently down and then a swarm of bots circling her. They'd taken her to the lair... Roxie wasn't entirely sure why she was so relieved that they'd brought her here. She started to move through the lair but the bots she moved towards growled and menaced her. “Hey!” She objected for a moment then looked around. She moved towards a different bot and that one did the same. “Ok guys. Let's not make me stand here waiting for Megamind and Minion to get back... Is there some place I'm allowed to go? Allowed to sit?” She had her arms crossed and was tapping a foot at them. The eye stalks shifted around her, some looking between themselves and others looking her over as though assessing her. When the noise died down again there was a slight stretch to the circle on one side. She stepped towards that space and there was an oddly happy thrum from several of the bots. They stretched their little circle to lead her around a large machine without her getting close enough to it to touch it. Then they lead her down a slight hall made by the backside of that machine and a shelf, then back to the left, where Roxie spotted a couch. The couch was plush and there was a worn blanket laying haphazardly over the back of the couch. She looked around at the bots circling her and they let her on the couch. “I think I might take a nap. When Megamind and Minion get back will you wake me up?” She asked and there was another diligent discussion between the bots. When they were done, one bot moved forward as she sat back on the couch and nestled into the cushion near by, it's little eye open and alert while the others moved away into a wider perimeter. Roxanne didn't know for sure that they'd agreed but she felt like maybe they had so she settled into the couch, pulling the blanket over herself and rested her eyes. 

It could have been moments or it could have been days until Roxie was woken by a noisy brain bot, hovering over her face and poking her while bawging at her. She didn't feel rested at all, it was always a bit cold and damp in the lair, the blanket had helped some but not enough. She looked up to see Minion's back through a shelf, and she could hear his worried tone. “Sir! I'm sure the brain bots took her somewhere safe, please... PLEASE let me look at your injuries! It's been _days_ Sir!” The half frantic voice that responded nearly broke her heart. “I have to Minion! I have to know she's ok! They didn't take her to the hospital... Why didn't they take her there... Or home? Where did they take her?! They keep saying they took her _home_!” His lament made her stand off the couch and the bot made a strange little questioning noise. She held her finger to her lip with a smile “Ssshh!” She instructed and it tilted in the air at her. She walked slowly, moving with purpose around the shelf that stood between them. “Sir, please, it's in their programing. Where ever Miss Ritchi is she's safe! Now you need medical attention! You're still bleeding Sir!”

The shock on Megamind's face when she came around the corner and crossed her arms at him, raising an unamused eyebrow at his current state, was payment for at least three kidnappings. The shrill startled shriek he gave was probably payment for another five. He was wearing just a jumpsuit and he clutched his hands to his chest like a woman caught naked. His clothes were stained and bloody, his knee still hadn't been seen to yet and half his face was slightly swollen, splotched with purple. “Let him see to you.” She demanded and he blinked at her, stone still. “Miss Ritchi! Thank you! Now Sir... She's safe, you don't have to protect her anymore...” The sharp snap of Megamind's eyes over to Minion and the hissing, angry sound that echoed out of him startled her a bit. Roxanne put her hand on Minion's arm. “Megamind... Please...” There was a moment where he looked almost wounded by the request, where his chest caved and he exhaled heavily, looking into her eyes with what she could only describe as longing. “I'll be here when he's done...” She offered and his eyebrows folded together in a look that she pegged as disbelief and hope mixed in even parts.

Minion was able to drag Megamind off and Roxie went back to the couch, leaning heavily into the cushions. He was safe, she was safe, it was ok. She'd been drifting when he stepped up to the other end of the couch and startled her awake. “Not our usual day.” He stated, looking better for having been tended to but bone weary. She pulled her legs off the cushion and patted it, offering for him to sit. “No, not really. You're ok?” She questioned while he shifted to sit, wincing as he moved. A feeble little half smirk crossed his lips as he leaned his elbows gingerly on his knees, leaning forward. “I have a list of injuries but none of them are particularly life threatening, so don't get your hopes up. Not looking like I'm going to croak any time soon.” An icy finger ran up her spine, straightening her as her eyes widened at him. Roxanne didn't really mean to hiss angrily at the comment as he winced. “Don't... Why would I be _hopeful_ that you'd die?!” His face crumpled as he looked down at his hands, confusion expressed clearly even when all she could see was his profile. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Ah. Yes I suppose you _would_ prefer I rot in jail.”

Roxanne could feel her lips thinning, the pressure of her teeth trying not to grind together, just gripping her tongue painfully instead. “We'll get you home soon Miss Ritchi.” He offered and moved to stand but hissed softly at trying to move. Her teeth released her tongue and the words seemed to knock his legs back out from under him as though she'd really hit him. “What was it that was so conflicting? The CPR?” He seemed momentarily lost as she moved forward. “Or was it this?” Her hand lashed out and his shoulders pulled up but he didn't get away in time to stop her from gripping the back of his neck. It wasn't until she had the base of his skull in her hand again that she realized how terrible of an idea this was. How was it that his dismissing her had her this damn angry that she'd do something this fucking stupid? It was kind of almost dominating how she gripped him and how his head flung back, his eyes wide and that scandalized, birdsong, moan, _thing_ left his throat again. Something deep inside of her twisted hot and uncomfortable at herself. In for a penny in for a pound though, she pulled him closer to her so she could hiss in his ear. “Now do you mind telling me what I've done rather than pretend that nothing has changed?” His whole body shuddered with something that looked like it might be restraint. His voice warbled and there was definitely _want_ rolled into that sound, a low thrum carrying under his attempt at speech. “Ro... Mihaa! Ssssss! Oh evil god in evil heaven!” She wasn't even holding him particularly tightly, after having seen him kick and shoulder an iron bar she knew he could pull away if he needed.

But he didn't. Even as his jaw chattered his teeth together and as his hand gripped a fist full of her shirt he didn't pull away. This time must have been different some how, his noises were nearly lurid and there didn't seem to be nearly the amount of panic in him. Her lips brushed his ear, what was she doing? Aside from something she'd kinda always thought about? “Does it feel good?” His head fell forward and his neck arched into her palm like a cat, a half distressed, half moan noise fell from his mouth, multiple tones lancing through the sound as he seemed to try and catch his breath. He couldn't seem to respond so she rubbed her hand down his spine and back up, nails trailing gently down his skin then her palm smoothing over the same flesh. His arm jerked and pulled her closer to him while the other hand made the fabric of the couch groan in protest. His eyes fluttered and he rolled his head slightly towards her, looking up at her through his thick black lashes. A shuddering breath went in and out of him as he seemed to try and compose himself. The look in his eye was smoldering, filled to the brim with wanting and it made her smile. A crooked little half grin split her lips. She reached down and put another hand on him, this one on his thigh, more for support than anything else. “Miss Ritchi you nee...” He started but she pressed closer to him, letting her lips brush his flushed cheek bone. “Mmmm... That doesn't sound like the answer I was looking for...”

Then she was on her back. It had only taken the time between the beginning of a blink and the end of it. Both hands above her head and him looming over her, panting, eyes hazed but a distraught look on his face. “ _Roxanne_! I'm _trying_ to protect you!” She shifted experimentally but he had a good grip on her wrists, she slid her leg slightly, he wasn't really pinning her with his body, just by her wrists, like he was afraid to touch more of her. He was just so... Scandalized! It was... It was _cute_... “From what Megamind?” She shoved her hand up, not to get it out of his hand but to take it with her and she tilted him slightly, a leg wrapping around his as she tried to flip them. He pressed his elbow out just in time to stop her and let his body rest against hers now. The answer could have been a bucket of cold water. “From _me_...” There was so much to that tone, so much worry and fear and self recrimination bending not just his tone but twisting his face into a painful mask. It could have been the end, but she just rolled her shoulders backwards and pushed herself up into him, catching his lips with hers in something that just felt _right_. She kissed him, and he kissed her back. There was a shocked little sound in the back of his throat but he returned her kiss so quickly you'd think he'd planned this whole thing. He _wanted_ to be kissing her and _holy hell_ , she wanted him too. When the kiss broke he let out a little sob and curled around her, clutching her to him, letting her hands go. It was such a broken gesture, like all the stress was making him hysterical.

“I'm just trying to protect you too...” She offered as she stroked her hands down his back. There was a little laugh out of him, he wasn't crying but she was worried he might. “From what?” She had been protecting him for some time, she never refused to do his story even though her boss had offered. She pointed out damning flaws in his plans not to degrade him but warn him. She would check on him with the warden and had at one point done a story on police brutality when the warden told her that he'd been worse than when he got into the cop car. There was only one answer really, one thing that was the crux of all the danger the alien man ever got into. The only thing she could really think of that he truly needed protection from. There was an affectionate coo to her voice, one she'd never realized would be there but now just felt right.

“From _you_.”


End file.
